National Weather Service's Stuart Seto says spring isn't typically a time of great rainfall for the region.

Most of that happens during winter. But Seto said California saw only about four-and-half inches of rain and snow across the state, making this the third driest winter on record.

"So we are going to need several years of at least above normal rainfall to put a dent in this drought situation," Seto said.

Brady Phillips with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says an extremely warm winter didn't help. The state averaged about four degrees above normal, making this the warmest winter on record.

All of this is bad news for firefighters, Seto says. He warns that fire risk in Southern California is likely to stay high from now until at least next winter.